Nesting and stacking container



1967. I o. J. BRIDENSTINE 3,351,229

NESTING AND STACKING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 18, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l EMPTY POSITION F U LL POSITION FIG;

INVENTOR O.J. BRIDENSTINE BY Z w A T TORNE rs N 1967 o. J. BRIDENSTINE 3,351,229

NESTING AND STACKING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 18, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 319

FIG. 3a

INVENTOR O. J. BRIDENSTINE BY ywl w a A T TORNEVS Nov. 7, 1967 NESTING AND STACKING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 18, 1965 INVENTOR O.J. BRIDENSTINE A T TOR/VEKS' o. J. BRIDENSTINE 3,351,229 I 3 Shets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,351,229 NESTING AND STACKING CONTAINER Orville J. Bridenstine, Caney, Kans., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 508,436 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) This invention relates to a nesting and stacking container.

Nesting and stacking containers are well known in the art. In one type, the container comprises an open top, commonly rectangular, vessel so constructed that in one position an upper container will nest within an identical lower container for storage purposes. When said upper container is rotated to another position it will stack vertically on said lower container. Most commonly, the containers of the prior art will stack only upon being rotated through 180 degrees, i.e., the upper container is turned end-for-end with respect to a like lower container. However, nesting and stacking containers are known which will stack upon being rotated through either 90 degrees or 180 degrees. In many instances, it would be desirable to have a nesting and stacking container with which it is not necessary to rotate an upper container before it can be stacked on top of a like lower container. Such a container would be easier and more convenient to handle manually, and would also be more adaptable to handling in a mechanized manner, e.g., by fork lift trucks, etc. This is particularly true of the larger-sized containers which are being employed in increasingly large numbers in the mechanized harvesting of fruits and ve etables.

In the mechanized harvesting of fruits and vegetables a mechanical picker delivers the fruit or vegetable to the top of the container or bin and then discharges same into the container. In many instances, this results in an extended drop of the fruit or vegetable from the picker to the bottom of the container, particularly when large containers are being employed and the container is empty or substantially empty. In many instances, the fruit or vegetable, for example tomatoes, is susceptible of material damage caused by the simple art of dropping it into a container. It would be highly desirable to have a nesting and stacking container having a movable bottom which, when the container is empty, is positioned adjacent the top thereof and moves downwardly during the filling of the container, thus reducing or eliminating damage due to dropping of said fruit or vegetable. It is also desirable that said containers can be economically fabricated from moldable materials such as plastics and metals.

The present invention solves the above problems by providing a nesting and stacking container in which it is not necessary to rotate an upper container before it can be stacked on top of a like lower container. The improved container of the invention is also provided with a floating pallet bottom which initially is positioned adjacent the top of the container and which moves downward during the filling of the container, thus eliminating or reducing damage to the container contents while it is being filled.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved nesting and stacking container. Another object of this invention is to provide an improve-d nesting and stacking container in which it is not necessary to rotate an upper container before it can be stacked on top of a like lower container. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved nesting and stacking container having a removable floating pallet bottom. Another object of this invention is to rovide a nesting and stacking container which can be employed directly in the ripening and coloring rooms without damage to the container itself resulting from the high humidity, and other detrimental conditions which exist in such rooms. Still another object of this invention is to provide a nesting and stacking container having the characteristics recited above and which can be readily and economically fabricated from any moldable, formable, or shapable material such as the various plastics and metals. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container fabricated in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the floating pallet bottom member of a container fabricated in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a side view in elevation of said floating pallet bottom and illustrating operation of the hinged sections of said pallet bottom.

FIGURES 3a and 3b are perspective views illustrating details of construction of said floating pallet bottom.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating a container of the invention with the floating pallet bottom thereof in its initial position for receiving the material with which the container is to be filled.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating two filled containers of the invention in stacked'relationship.

FIGURE 6 is a cross section through a wall of a container fabricated in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are employed to denote like elements, the invention will be more fully explained. As shown in said drawings, a container of the invention, denoted generally by the reference numeral 10, comprises a pair of opposed first walls 12 and 14. The top minor portions 16 and 18 of each of said first walls is essentially vertical and the remaining lower portions 20 and 22, respectively, of each of said first walls slopes inwardly toward the other first wall from the bottom of said vertical portion to the bottom of the wall. Said container also comprises a pair of opposed transverse second walls 24 and 26. The top minor portions 28 and 30 of said second walls is essentially vertical and the remaining lower portions 32 and 34, respectively, of said second walls also slop inwardly in the same manner as said first walls. The degree of slope of said lower portions of said walls is at least equal to the thickness of the walls, and preferably is a little greater than said thickness, to facilitate nesting of the containers. Said lower wall portions can also increase in thickness from top to bottom as shown in FIGURE 6. The degree of slope of said lower walls will also depend upon the wall thickness and flexibility of the material from which the container is fabricated, and the weight of the material for which the container is primarily designed to be employed, as will be discussed further hereinafter. Said wall portions can be perforated, if desired.

Adjacent walls of said first and second walls are inte-' grally joined to each other along the vertical edges of said substantially vertical portions thereof to form an essentially vertical rim comprised of said top portions 16, 18, 28, and 30, and extending continuously around the top portion of said walls. A rounded corner portion 36 is disposed between and integrally joins adjacent first and second walls to each other along the vertical edges of said lower portions thereof, such as 20 and 34, and is integrally joined along its top edge to the bottom edge of said rim. In the container illustrated in FIGURE 1, four such corner portions are employed to form a generally tubular structure having an open top and an open bottom. Said rounded corner portions can increase in thickness from top to bottom as shown in FIGURE 6. A ledge 38 extends inwardly from at least two of said opposed walls, e.g., 2i) and 22 (not shown on 22), along the bottom edges 3 thereof. Preferably, a ledge 38 is provided along the bottom edge of each of said walls 20, 22, 32, and 34.

A floating pallet bottom, designated generally by the reference numeral 40, is adapted to-be disposed within the inner periphery of said open top as shown in FIG- URE 4, and in contact with said inwardly sloping lower wall portions, e.g., 20 and 22. When weight is placed on said pallet bottom, as in filling the container, said bottom is adapted to move slowly downward in contact with and expand said lower portions of said walls to substantially vertical position and to come to rest on said ledges 38.

A plurality of guide ribs 42 extend inwardly from and upwardly along the inner surface of the lower portion of at least two of said walls. Preferably, said guide ribs are provided on at least two opposing walls. If desired, said guide ribs can be provided on the inner surface of all of said walls. Said guide ribs can be provided by a thickening of the wall as shown, or by forming an inwardly extending convolution in the wall. A plurality of corresponding grooves 44 is formed in corresponding outer edges of said floating pallet bottom 40 and is adapted to embrace corresponding guide ribs on said walls with a loose sliding fit.

An elongated recess 46 is formed in the bottom edge of at least one pair of said opposing walls, e.g., 20 and 22 (not shown on 22). Preferably, a recess 46 is formed in the bottom edge of each of said walls. A first and a second spaced apart stacking stop 48 and 50 extend inwardly from the top edge of at least one pair of said opposed walls. Preferably, like stacking stops, similarly spaced apart, extend upwardly from the top edge of each of said walls as shown in the drawings. Said recess 46 and said stacking stops 48 and 50 are adapted to cooperatively engage each other when one container is stacked on top of a like container. See FIGURE 5. Thus, said stacking stops 48 and 50 are spaced apart a distance such that the outer edges of said stops will engage the ends of a recess 46 when one container is stacked on top of a like container as shown at 47 in FIGURE 5. When containers are stacked as shown in FIGURE 5, said recess 46 provides space for the tines of a fork lift truck between the floor and the bottom container, or at the space 49 between stacked containers.

Said floating pallet bottom is comprised of two panels 52 and 54, each of which has a substantially flat upper surface which can be perforated, if desired, as shown. A downwardly turned flange 56 extends around the periphery of each-of said panels. A first plurality of spaced apart hinge loop members 58 is joined to the lower edge of said flange along the mating side of one of said panels. A second plurality of spaced part hinge loop members 60 is joined to the lower edge of said flange along the corresponding mating side of the other of said panels. Said second hinge loop members 60 are spaced apart distances different from said first hinge loop members 58 and are adapted to be intermeshed with said first hinge loop members when said panels are joined to form bottom 40. A hinge pin 62, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, extends through said intermeshed hinge loops.

A gridwork of intersecting spaced apart reinforcing ribs extends downwardly from the lower surface of each of said panels, and the ends of said ribs are integrally joined to said flange 56, either directly or through said hinge loops as shown in FIGURES 3a and 3b. Said gridwork of reinforcing ribs. comprises a first plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs 64 extending downwardly from and across the lower surface of each of said panels. A second plurality of spaced apart rein-forcing ribs 66 extends downwardly from and across the lower surface of each of said panels, in a direction different from that of said first reinforcing ribs, and integrally intersecting said first rein-forcing ribs.

Preferably, the upper surface of panels 52 and '4 of floating pallet bottom 40 slope outwardly from the center of the container toward the end walls of the container. This slope is shown more clearly in FIGURE 3. Said flange 56 also tapers in vertical thickness accordingly. It will also be noted that the hinge members connecting said panels 52 and 54 are joined to the lower portion of said flange. This preferred construction has a number of advantages. The sloping upper surface of panels 52 and 54 provides for more even distribution of materials discharged into the center portion of the container. Also, the preferred location of said hinge provides the contacting surface 55 between panels 52 and 54 and reduces or eliminates the possibility of said floating pallet bottom buckling in the center.

In use, when a container of the invention is to be filled, the floating pallet bottom 40 is placed in the position shown in FIGURE 4 inside the periphery of the continuous rim 16, 18, 28, 30. Said bot-tom fits freely within said rim with the bottom of flange 56 in contact with sloping lower wall portions 20 and 22, initially. As increasing weight is placed on the upper surface of floating pallet bottom 52, it first assumes the position indicated in FIG- URE 3 (continuous lines), and with further increasing weight during filling gradually descends, expands the lower wall portions 20, 22, 32, 34, and corner portions 36 to a substantially vertical position, and comes to rest on ledges 38. This expansion of the container walls is illustrated in FIGURE 1 by the dotted lines around the lower portion of the container. When the container has been emptied and it is desired to return the floating pallet bottom to its upper initial position for refilling of the container, this can be accomplished by pushing up first (from the bottom) on the center portion of the pallet bottom. The panels 52 and 54 of said pallet bottom will then assume a position shown approximately by the dotted lines in FIGURE 3. The pallet bottom can then be pushed out of the tubular portion of the container.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the lower wall portions 20, 22,.

32, and 34, and rounded corner portions 36 are usually tapered in thickness from top to bottom, being thicker at the bottom. The amount the thickness of said Wall and corner portions increases from top to bottom will depend upon the primary use the container is designed for and the material from which the container is fabricated. There is a definite relationship between the weight placed on the upper surface of the floating pallet bottom and the thickness of said wall portions. Heavier or more dense materials will require more increase in thickness of said wall portions than will less dense materials. Similarly, more flexible materials of construction will require greater increase in wall thickness than less flexible materials of coni struction.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to generally rectangular containers wherein one pair of walls, e.g., the side walls, are longer than the other 1 pair of walls, e.g., the end walls, said rectangular containers can be generally square. Thus, herein and in the claims, unless otherwise specified, the terms side wall and end wall should be construed broadly. It will be clear to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure that the container illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6 could be made generally square by merely shortening side walls 28, 32 and 30, 34 until they are of the same length as end walls 16, 20 and 18, 22. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide containers in shapes other than rec-.

the invention. The high density polyethylenes prepared.

by the methods disclosed and claimed by J. P. Hogan et al. in US. Patent 2,825,721, issued Mar. 4, 1958, are one group of presently preferred moldable materials.

The containers of the invention can be fabricated in various sizes, depending upon how the container is to be employed. The containers are particularly adapted for fabrication in the larger sizes useful in the field in the mechanized harvesting of fruits and vegetables. For such use containers having a depth of about 24 inches, a width of about 42 inches, and a length of about 48 inches have been found particularly useful. In such containers the dimensions of the various elements would be generally in proportion to the above given dimensions. The invention is not to be limited to containers of any particular dimensions or particular dimensions of particular elements comprising the containers.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative purposes, the invention obviously is not limited thereto. Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. Such modifications are within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container adapted to be nested and stacked vertically with a like container of identical shape, said container when empty comprising: a pair of opposed first walls, the top minor portion of each said first wall being essentially vertical and the remaining lower portion of each said first wall sloping inwardly toward the other first wall from the bottom of said vertical portion to the bottom of the wall; a pair of opposed transverse second walls, the top minor portion of each said second wall being essentially vertical and the remaining lower portion of each said second wall sloping inwardly toward the other first wall from the bottom of said vertical portion to the bottom of the wall; adjacent walls of said first and said second Walls being integrally joined to each other along the vertical edges of said vertical portions thereof forming an essentially vertical rim extending continuously around the top portion of said walls; a rounded corner portion disposed between and integrally joining adjacent first and second walls along the vertical edges of said lower portions thereof, and integrally joined along its top edge to the bottom edge of said rim to form a generally tubular structure having an open top and an open bottom; a ledge extending inwardly from at least two of said opposed walls along the bottom edges thereof; and a floating pallet bottom disposed within the inner periphery of said open top in contact with said inwardly sloping lower portions of said walls, said bottom being adapted to move downward and expand said lower portions of said walls to an essentially vertical position when an increasing weight is placed on said bottom as during the filling of said container, and to come to rest on said ledges.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said floating pallet bottom is comprised of two panels connected together by a hinge.

3. A container in accordance with claim 2 wherein a plurality of guide ribs extend inwardly and upwardly along the inner surface of said lower portion of at least two of said walls, and a plurality of corresponding grooves are formed in corresponding outer edges of said floating pallet bottom.

4. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein a recess means is formed in the bottom edge of each Wall of at least one pair of said opposing walls and a corresponding stacking stop means projects upwardly from the top edge of each of said last-mentioned walls, said recess means and said stop means being adapted to cooperatively engage each other when a filled container is stacked on top of a like filled container.

5. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein a recess means is formed in the bottom edge of each wall and a corresponding stacking stop means projects upwardly from the top edge of each of said walls, said recess means and said stop means being adapted to cooperatively engage each other when a filled container is stacked on top of a like filled container.

6. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said floating pallet bottom is comprised of two panels each of which has a substantially flat upper surface; a downwardly turned flange extends around the periphery of each of said panels; a first plurality of spaced apart hinge loop members are joined to the lower edge of said flange along one mating side of one of said panels; a second plurality of spaced apart hinge loop members are joined to the lower edge of said flange along the corresponding mating side of the other of said panels, said second hinge loop members being spaced apart distances different from said first hinge loop members and intermeshed with said first hinge loop members; a hinge pin extending through said intermeshed hinge loops; and a gridwork of intersecting spaced apart reinforcing ribs extends downwardly from the lower surface of each of said panels; and the ends of said ribs are joined to said flange.

7. A container in accordance with claim 6 wherein said gridwork of reinforcing ribs comprises: a first plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs extending downwardly from and across the lower surface of each of said panels and integrally joined at their ends to said flange; and a second plurality of spaced apart reinforcing ribs extending downwardly from and across the lower surface of each of said panels, in a direction different from that of said first reinforcing ribs, integrally intersecting said first reinforcing ribs, and integrally joined at their ends to said flange.

8. A container in accordance with claim 7 wherein: a plurality of inwardly and upwardly extending guide ribs is provided along the inner surface of each of said lower portions of said walls; a plurality of corresponding grooves, each adapted to loosely embrace a corresponding said guide rib, is formed in said flange on corresponding peripheral edges of said bottom.

9. A container in accordance with claim 8 wherein: an elongated recess is formed in the bottom edge of each said wall; and first and second spaced apart stacking stops extend upwardly from the top edge of each said wall, said stacking stops being spaced apart a distance such that the outer edges of said stops will engage the outer edges of said recesses when one filled container is stacked on top of a like filled container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,693 2/ 1949 Wabshaw 220-97 2,598,320 5/1952 Turbyfill 220-97 XR 3,114,495 12/1963 Grooms 229-5 FOREIGN PATENTS 613,317 12/1960 Italy.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE NESTED AND STACKED VERTICALLY WITH A LIKE CONTAINER OF IDENTICAL SHAPE, SAID CONTAINER WHEN EMPTY COMPRISING: A PAIR OF OPPOSED FIRST WALLS, THE TOP MINOR PORTION OF EACH SAID FIRST WALL BEING ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL AND THE REMAINING LOWER PORTION OF EACH SAID FIRST WALL SLOPING INWARDLY TOWARD THE OTHER FIRST WALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WALL; A PAIR OF OPPOSED TRANSVERSE SECOND WALLS, THE TOP MINOR PORTION OF EACH SAID SECOND WALL BEING ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL AND THE REMAINING LOWER PORTION OF EACH SAID SECOND WALL SLOPING INWARDLY TOWARD THE OTHER FIRST WALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID VERTICAL PORTION TO THE BOTTOM OF THE WALL; ADJACENT WALLS OF SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND WALLS BEING INTEGRALLY JOINED TO EACH OTHER ALONG THE VERTICAL EDGES OF SAID VERTICAL PORTIONS THEREOF FORMING AN ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL RIM EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND THE TOP PORTION OF SAID WALLS; A ROUNDED CORNER PORTION DISPOSED BETWEEN AND INTEGRALLY JOINING ADJACENT FIRST AND SECOND WALLS ALONG THE VERTICAL EDGES OF SAID LOWER PORTIONS THEREOF, AND INTEGRALLY JOINED ALONG ITS TOP EDGE TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF SAID RIM TO FORM A GENERALLY TUBULAR STRUCTURE HAVING AN OPEN TOP AND AN OPEN BOTTOM; A LEDGE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM AT LEAST TWO OF SAID OPPOSED WALLS ALONG THE BOTTOM EDGES THEREOF; AND A FLOATING PALLET BOTTOM DISPOSED WITHIN THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID OPEN TOP IN CONTACT WITH SAID INWARDLY SLOPING LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS, SAID BOTTOM BEING ADAPTED TO MOVE DOWNWARD AND EXPAND SAID LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS TO AN ESSENTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION WHEN AN INCREASING WEIGHT IS PLACED ON SAID BOTTOM AS DURING THE FILLING OF SAID CONTAINER, AND TO COME TO REST ON SAID LEDGES. 